The Steelers are 30th in the NFL in rushing, averaging 2.6 yards per carry. This isn't what coach Mike Tomlin envisioned when the Steelers brought in new offensive coordinator Todd Haley and made a commitment to improving the running game.

"We haven’t run the ball as well as we have liked," Tomlin told reporters. "I’m not interested in assigning blame in that regard. I will take responsibility for it. The reality is we’ve got room for growth."

The Steelers hope running back Rashard Mendenhall returns to game action soon. Mendenhall is recovering from a serious knee injury but is practicing with the team.

"Maybe we will bump him around a little bit more in practice this week," Tomlin said. "He has done a nice job of running and cutting at full speed. Now let’s see if he can play a little football. We will thud him up a little bit on a day we are allowed to carry our pads and see if he can respond positively to it."

The Steelers’ running game may improve as the season progresses. But right now, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is carrying as big a load as ever.